Relax, It's Rishikesh

From birdwatching to river-rafting to yoga, Rishikesh has a diverse array of activities for the weary traveller. Aindrila Mitra checks into a new wellness resort for a customised route to nirvana.

I’M ON A MISSION TO FIND MY IKIGAI, the ‘Japanese secret to a long and happy life’. My latest read by the same name, written by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, has clearly left a mark on me. The concept of mens sana in corpore sana (‘a sound mind in a sound body’) has always inspired me to find ways to reboot my high-stress lifestyle. And like The Secret executing its law of attraction, I stumble upon an invite from Roseate Ganges, which recently opened its doors to guests on the foothills of the Garhwal Himalayas—in a lesser frequented part of Rishikesh. The universe is listening, I realise. For one, Rishikesh is the yoga capital of the world. And secondly, Roseate Ganges— with its 16-villa luxury accommodations—promises to be a wellness resort. So, I embark on a road trip to Rishikesh in the hope of finding a place that can bring some calm into my nomadic routine.

Rishikesh is a seven-hour drive from my Gurugram home, and the route is mostly smooth, except certain pockets of Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Haridwar, where traffic jams can slow you down. I leave home at dawn to escape the masses, and touch the property well in time for a late lunch. I am famished, yet I’m taken in by the seamless landscape of the Garhwal Himalayas that Roseate Ganges overlooks. Aparna Purohit, the front office manager, tells me it’s Mount Shivalaya that I’m staring at while I sip on a rhododendron drink sitting by the infinity pool. I take a long, deep breath, and I can feel my lungs heave a sigh of relief from the polluted air I usually consume in the National Capital Region. My wellness journey of 72 hours starts here.